Coaching

Individual Coaching

We provide individual coaching to help leaders and managers address their development needs in the most effective way. This is an opportunity to progress issues including

management/leadership development

department and team objectives

personal development

performance management

interpersonal skills

relationships with staff

The main tool leaders and managers have in carrying out their role is themselves, so self-awareness is key to being successful. Our experience and training enable us to facilitate individuals to work on three main areas of awareness which provide gateways to change:

behaviour (and skills) including habitual behaviour

thoughts and attitudes

feelings

We draw on a variety of psychological models in our work, including emotional intelligence, cognitive behavioural techniques, Transactional Analysis and TIFF behavioural profiling.

As trainers in leadership and management, we have knowledge and understanding which enables us to offer information (not advice) to leaders and managers, and to facilitate their thinking about the challenges and issues their roles present. We also specialise in coaching in interpersonal skills.

Principal Consultant Valerie Fawcett most recently designed and delivered both short and ILM-Certificate-level-5 courses in coaching and mentoring for managers.

Action-learning sets

In action-learning sets, colleagues coach each other with the help of a facilitator. After a half-day introduction to coaching skills, sets are formed of up to six members. The sets meet for half a day and each member brings a real issue on which they are working. After a brief description, other set members (and the expert facilitator) ask coaching questions to facilitate the presenter’s thinking and insights on the issue. This is a powerful tool for enabling people to make progress in their roles and, as the time is spent working on real issues, it can save working time rather than using it.

Depending on the size of the group, members will present their issue either every meeting or slightly less often, but will have the opportunity to develop coaching skills and learn from the issues others bring as well as progressing their own. There is usually time for 4 members to present in each half-day set.

Please contact us for further details of individual coaching and action-learning sets.

Testimonials for coaching:

“Valerie created an immediate connection based on trust, confidence and mutual respect which allowed us to effectively explore my professional aspirations and address any barriers which might stand in the way of me fulfilling those aspirations. Importantly, for me, Valerie would also suggest credible, evidence-based resources for me to use and explore on my own thereby expanding the impact of our coaching sessions.”
Steve Walsh, Head of Operations and Information Strategy, External Relations, Oxford Brookes University

“I first met Valerie when she was facilitating a leadership course in my own organisation. During this time I decided to take on a more senior position. I used the opportunity to have some one-to-one coaching with Valerie, and found it to be very effective and instrumental in my promotion success.

Valerie is a highly skilled coach, and she has provided me with some helpful insights and some useful tools. I know that what I have learnt in my time with Valerie will continue to be essential to me as I continue in my leadership role.”
Maxine Fletcher, Head of Department, Psychology, Health and Professional Development
Oxford Brookes University

“Valerie gave me some managerial coaching recently. Her perception built on many years of personal experience, allied to a sound understanding of the psychology of management, greatly assisted me in managing several highly unusual and problematic issues I was dealing with at the time. I would have no hesitation in recommending Valerie to other managers in the hope that they would benefit similarly.”Wylie Horn, Section Manager, NSMS (Network Systems Management Service), University of Oxford

“Thanks to Valerie I have been recognised at work. I signed up for Valerie’s coaching sessions, as I was feeling relegated at work, in just one/two sessions, she helped me to assess my situation and to write an action plan. One year later, my employer has awarded me with a grant to continue with my professional studies and I feel empowered thanks to Valerie’s coaching.”Hada Moreno, Faculty of Business, Oxford Brookes, University